The present invention relates to hygiene mats on which users, e.g. visitors, can disinfect the soles of their shoes or boots, before they enter into a barn or the like.
At many farms it is common practice to try to exclude contamination through shoes and/or boots by placing open containers with disinfection fluids at the entrances. Visitors can disinfect their shoes and boots by xe2x80x98dippingxe2x80x99 their feet into the container filled with disinfection liquid. Many of these containers are cut out plastic jerrycans which contain variable quantities of liquid that pollute quickly and in which visitors are alomost unable to disinfect their shoes or boots without running the risk of getting wet feet.
The invention relates to a combination of a liquid retaining mat, which is substantially fully surrounded by a wear resistant, permeable fabric material, fitted in a waterproof sleeve to prevent leaking of the liquid into the environment.
In particular, the hygiene mats according to the present invention comprise an absorbing mat which is covered on substantially all sides by a protective, woven, permeable polypropylene material and supplied with a waterproof sleeve which is open on the top side in order to contain disinfecting liquid(s).
The mats can be manufactured in different sizes for different applications to replace the known open xe2x80x98footbathsxe2x80x99, pieces of carpet or foamrubber.
Based on the above principle, the present invention aims to provide for more than one application.
The invention aims to be a quality medium to disinfect the shoes or boots of visitors to the premises, or alternatively the equipment, like the wheels of farm transport means, carts, forklifttrucks and furthermore the wheels of cars and lorries. In this connection, the invention aims to provide a reservoir for disinfecting liquid, without hard, upstanding edges, where an easy application and passage is combined with a longer contact between the object to disinfect and the disinfecting liquid. In the case of persons using the hygiene mats, said longer contact is caused by the fact that a user can stand on the mat with both feet, without liquid running over and into his shoes. In case the mats are being used by transport means, it is prevented that said means have to pass over elevations or edges in or on the floor.
The invention also aims to be an alternative to the partial care of the feet or claws of farm animals like cattle and sheep. In this case the mat is provided with a caring or disinfecting, or another purpose serving, product. The animals are made to walk over the mat and consequently come into contact with the product contained in the mat.
The latter purpose of the invention is advantageous as animals have a natural dislike for open surfaces of water and tend to jump over such surfaces or containers providing such surfaces. Furthermore they have the reflex to manure in the resrvoir or water surface when they are forced to pass it.